Recipe: Supercharged Lee’s Prebiotic Tray Bake

The wonderful Lee Holmes has just released her new book: Supercharge Your Gut and we are so excited because she’s sharing a series of recipes from the book with YZL! To continue, today Lee is sharing this one tray veggie dish – the perfect ‘easy but healthy’ go-to dinner that really takes zero effort. Plus, because it’s great for using up any veggies you have in the fridge, it’s the ultimate when you get home and don’t know what to make for dinner. Oh – and you can totes take the leftovers for lunch the next day (disclaimer: there may not actually be any leftovers left… it’s that delicious, that tahini drizzle – insert hands in the air emoji!)

This prebiotic bake is pimped up with a tangy garlic tahini drizzle. Roasting is a great way to cheer up any vegetable that may have been left in the fridge too long. The vegetables all cook at different speeds, so some are crunchier than others, which adds to the beauty of this dish.

** Gluten Free, Wheat Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Vegetarian

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

200 g (7 oz) Jerusalem artichokes

12 lemon

200 g (7 oz) parsnips, peeled and quartered lengthways

300 g (1012 oz) heirloom or baby carrots, trimmed

2 leeks, white part only, washed well, cut into 2 cm (34 inch) rounds

2 red onions, cut in half, or into thick wedges

1 jicama (Mexican yam bean), peeled and thinly sliced

12 asparagus spears, trimmed

60 ml (2 fl oz/14 cup) extra virgin olive oil

aleppo pepper or red chilli flakes, for sprinkling

garlic tahini drizzle

1 garlic clove, crushed

pinch of Celtic sea salt

3–4 tablespoons tahini (see Note, page 208)

3–4 tablespoons lemon juice,
or more to taste

2–3 tablespoons filtered water

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Line a large roasting pan with baking paper.

To prepare the artichokes, scrub them well, but don’t peel them unless the skin seems too rough. Cut in half lengthways and immediately rub the cut surface with the cut surface of the lemon, to stop it browning.

Place all the vegetables, except the jicama and asparagus, in a single layer in the roasting pan. You don’t want to crowd the vegetables, or they won’t roast and crisp up, so use another lined roasting pan if necessary. Drizzle with the olive oil and rub to coat well.

Bake for 25 minutes, turning the vegetables once.

Add the jicama and asparagus and roast for a further 10 minutes, or until the asparagus is just cooked and all the vegetables are golden around the edges.

Meanwhile, to make the garlic tahini drizzle, mash the garlic and salt to a purée, using a mortar and pestle. Transfer to a bowl and whisk in the tahini. Add the lemon juice and a little bit of the water, whisking continuously, adding a little more water each time until the sauce reaches the consistency of thick cream or runny yoghurt. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Serve the roasted vegetables with the garlic tahini drizzle.

Note: Tahini is a paste made from lightly toasted sesame seeds. It tends to separate on sitting, especially if kept in fridge. You can bring the tahini back together by leaving the jar upside down for 15 minutes, then giving it a quick stir with a clean spoon.

Lee Holmes is a Certified Holistic Health Coach, Hatha Yoga Teacher and Whole Foods Chef. She has studied nutrition and is the author of a number of best-selling books, with this being the latest in her collection. Lee’s website:superchargedfood.comencourages S.O.L.E food; sustainable, organic, local and ethical.